GeForce GTX 1070 Custom Card Roundup

Building off the GeForce GTX 1070's incredible power efficiency, cutting edge Pascal architecture, advanced gaming technologies, and impressive speed, custom manufacturers have taken to their respective labs and modified the next-gen graphics card even further, and with amazing results.

In this list of custom GTX 1070s, you'll find many with higher clock speeds (sometimes with adjustable values depending on preset modes), and all of the cards have individual coolers based off each manufacturer's own design. The huge amount of custom GTX 1070s available—complete with European imports—is made possible by NVIDIA's vast network of worldwide partners. No matter what your itching desire or gaming goals, you can be confident that there's a perfect GTX 1070 out there with your name on it.

Of course, a lot of custom GTX 1070s means a lot of decisions to make when it comes time to buy. Therefore, if you haven't already, you'll want to do some preplanning on what features in a custom GTX 1070 will help you the most. A few examples could be overall cost, headroom for additional overclocking, silent running, availability of factory-configured profiles (such as those based off standard gaming modes and hardcore gaming modes), the size of the card itself, or power cable requirements. These are just a few areas to focus on—there are many more. If you need some help to bolster your decision-making, Maximum PC, PC Part Picker, Reddit - r/graphicscard, and Tom's Hardware are all wonderful resources with useful information.

It's also important to note that many of the custom cards on this roundup send hot air directly into your case, rather than outside of it. This isn't a problem if you have a full-sized tower with enhanced airflow, but it could be an issue if your rig's cables aren't managed properly, or if you lack a surplus of case fans. In that situation, it's better to go with a card that shoots the exhaust out of the back (we tell you precisely which GTX 1070s do that in each card description).

Speaking of helpful info, we made sure to include loads of useful data with each custom card here, such as reviews (wherever possible), memory speed, base clock/boost clock frequencies, the custom manufacturer's home page, and of course, the price. And when it comes to purchasing your shiny new custom GTX 1070, it's common for lower costs to appear on the web compared to your local electronics stores. Some etailers periodically include specials and rebates as well, so be sure to bounce around different sites such as Newegg, Amazon, SuperBiiz, and others to compare.

*Please note, all prices are those as of publishing, and are subject to change.

EVGA's top-shelf, two-slot GTX 1070 uses the ACX 3.0 cooling system, which is comprised of SHP (Straight Heat Pipe) 3.0 heat pipes, an expansive copper contact area under the heatsink fins, optimized fan curves and double-ball-bearings (with two fans total), a memory/MOSFET cooling plate, and a low power motor. EVGA claims that this setup results in 10% cooler operation, 13% quieter fans with 400% longer lifespan, and 15% cooler memory compared to the older ACX 2.0 configuration. For those who like to tweak their GTX 1070's colors, the fan shroud contains an adjustable RGB LED with numerous settings.

The GTX 1070 FTW Gaming is overclocked right from the factory floor, but if you're considering pushing it a little further, EVGA claims that their ACX 3.0 has four times lower power consumption than a reference card, which leaves more power available for extra overclocking. You'll need two 8-pin power connectors to install the GTX 1070 FTW Gaming.

EVGA has other GTX 1070s built off the ACX 3.0 cooler as well, including the GTX 1070 SC Gaming (1594 MHz base/1784 MHz boost), GTX 1070 Gaming (1506 MHz base/1683 MHz boost), and the GTX 1070 FTW DT Gaming (1506 MHz base/1683 MHz boost). Each is priced differently according to their respective speeds and features, but they're all dual-slot cards.

EVGA's all-in-one GTX 1070 FTW Hybrid lets you enjoy all the advantages of a water-cooled card, but without the trouble of installing a water-block and sticking it into a liquid-cooling loop. Instead, all you have to do is plug the two-slot card into your motherboard, attach two free 8-pin power cables to its PCB, and then secure the radiator and fan to the back of your case.

Once setup, EVGA claims that it's fire and forget—no additional filling, custom tubing, or maintenance required. The configuration involves a copper base on the GPU contact area, a variably controlled fan, and a 120 mm radiator to pair up with it. EVGA claims that the VRM and the memory are cooled as well as the GPU, which results in more stability and lower overall operating temperature. Topping it all off, there's a nifty RGB LED on the cooler which you can adjust to your own wishes.

The ROG STRIX 08G Gaming has two distinct, preset profiles that you can swap between—Gaming Mode and OC Mode. As you may have already discerned, Gaming Mode is designed for straightforward titles that won't tax your graphics card too severely, while OC Mode is meant to pull a heavy duty work-load under graphics-intense sessions. But even in Gaming Mode this GTX 1070 is plenty fast, with a 1632 MHz base clock and an 1835 MHz boost clock.

The whole card is cooled by ASUS's DirectCU III technology, a direct-contact heat pipe heat-sink array, and two 0db fans with patented triple-winged blades. As Bjorn3D writes in their review: "There's really nothing we don't like...great cooling solution, 1860 MHz boost clock, Direct CU III cooling, Wing Tip fans, Pascal GP104-400-A1 core and the ROG stamp of approval. The Auto extreme manufacturing process allows Asus to produce machine-made video cards without human interference eliminating random errors in manufacturing and consuming 50% of the power during the manufacturing process." PCGameware additionally notes that, "Thanks in part to the significant factory overclock of 170 MHz...the GTX 1070 STRIX OC is really quite the performer. In our testing you can see that it matched our heavily overclocked 980Ti every step of the way."

You can also tune the cooler's LED racing stripes through ASUS's Aura RGB Lighting, and the manufacturer claims there are millions of different color combinations to configure, and six different effects to apply to them, such as strobing, color cycling, fading in and out, and more. For the overclocking adventurous, ASUS bundles GPU Tweak II to fine-tune the card's base, boost, and memory clocks. You'll need a single 8-pin power cable to get this card up and running.

ASUS's GTX 1070 8G Gaming is very similar to the STRIX O8G Gaming, but with a 1506 MHz/1531 MHz base clock in Gaming Mode, and a 1683 MHz/1721 MHz boost clock in OC Mode.

Clad in black and white accents that would make a Star Wars storm trooper proud, the GTX 1070 Dual O8G uses a pair of patented Wing-Blade fans, which ASUS claims provide maximum air flow and 105% more air pressure than standard fans, as well as three times quieter performance. ASUS additionally claims that their exclusive Auto-Extreme Technology with Super Alloy Power II components adds exceptional stability and efficiency. And if you happen to own an ASUS X99-A-II motherboard, this graphics card has been designed to match it in looks and feel.

All you'll need is a single 8-pin power connector for the GTX 1070 Dual O8G. The ASUS GTX 1070 Dual 8G has an identical cooler and fan setup as the Dual O8G, albeit with a 1531 MHz base clock and a 1721 MHz boost clock.

The Turbo 8G GTX 1070 has the same hardware specs as the NVIDIA reference card, but ASUS uses a custom cooler on top of the PCB with a dual ball-bearing fan, and the GPU itself is built from the manufacturer's Auto Extreme Technology with Super Alloy Power II components. ASUS claims that their unique fan adds four times the lifespan compared to a standard cooler, and that their production process results in extra overall stability, better efficiency, less power loss, and lower operating temperatures.

The Turbo 8G is also one of the handful of cards on this list that blows hot air out of the case instead of inside it, so it should work wonderfully in just about any system that can support a dual-slot footprint. For the artistic-minded, the Turbo 8G brandishes a customizable ASUS backlit logo on top of the card. And just like ASUS's other offerings, you can get your hands on GPU Tweak II for free to increase the base and boost clocks, should you want to. Plus, the Turbo 8G only requires one 8-pin power cable, which helps keep cord-clutter minimized.

MSI's GTX 1070 Gaming Z 8G is an imposing and powerful card. Nestled snuggly inside the red and black Twin Frozr VI cooler are two TORX 2.0 fans, which incorporate traditional blades with dispersion blades, which MSI claims generates 22% more air pressure compared to the reference GTX 1070 card. The fans also use double ball-bearings, which, according to MSI, keeps them almost completely silent. Guru3D agrees, stating: "Noise wise, we can't complain about cooling whatsoever. Expect sound pressure values in the 38~39 dBA range at max under load and warm circumstances. That's measured 75 CM away from the PC. This means you can barely hear the card while using it." The card's quiet motif is further exemplified by MSI's Zero Frozr tech, which they claim totally removes fan noise altogether when the GPU is under low-load circumstances.

Beneath the fans lies a generously sized heatsink with smoothed, 8 mm heatpipes snaking their way through it. Taking it even further, the heatsink's nickel-plated copper baseplate uses premium thermal paste to make contact with the PCB. Behind the Gaming Z 8G is a solid metal back-plate with MSI's stylish dragon logo, which uses an RGB LED to shine bright within the recesses of your PC. On top of that, you can install the MSI Gaming App to swap between the card's three default profiles (Gaming, OC, and Silent) and tweak the lights. The Gaming Z 8G asks for an 8-pin and a 6-pinpower connector.

Peppered with black and white trim and silver accents, the Armor 8G OC's cooler harnesses two TORX fans with dispersion and traditional blades that run in concert with MSI's Zero Frozr technology, which MSI claims keeps the Armor 8G OC 100% quiet under situations where there's no GPU demand. Naturally though, the fans and Zero Frozr functionality are only part of the solution. The heatsink also plays an important role in keeping the card cool, and the Armor 8G OC's version is built using numerous aluminum fins (configured with MSI's Airflow Control Technology) and combined with copper heatpipes.

WCCF Tech praises the cooling, performance, and price in their review. "The 1070 Armor X OC has a beefy PCB and a twin fan cooler which runs surprisingly well and the color scheme looks really nice," they report. "The PCB on the card will let you clock the chip past 2 GHz offering even more performance out of this card. This card is an [all-in-one] package with great gaming performance which remains unmatched at this price point."

MSI's GTX 1070 Armor 8G uses the same cooler and construction as its Armor 8G OC sibling, but with some clock speed adjustments (1506 MHz base/1683 MHz boost) and a slightly different price.

Liquid-cooled PC's are usually the best choice for overclocking components, thanks to the superior heat dissipation they provide. That said, removing a graphics card's stock cooler and then self-installing a custom water-block isn't for everyone (though if you're interested in that, we cover where to start in the conclusion of this roundup). As such, MSI's GTX 1070 Sea Hawk EK X is a fantastic option for those who'd like a liquid-cooled graphics card added to their rig's cooling loop. Another perk to going the water-cooled route is that while the Sea Hawk EK X's bracket take ups the standard two slots, the PCB and water-block only use a one-slot imprint, creating lots of extra space in your chassis to work with (doubly important when routing cooling-loop pipes and tubing).

While the GTX 1070 portion is crafted by MSI, they partnered up with EKWB and installed the popular EK water-block on top of it. The block contains split-flow cooling, a nickel-plated copper base, and a metal backplate. The water-block covers the entirety of the card's PCB (overlapping important areas such as the memory and PWM components), which MSI and EKWB claim delivers the best cooling performance for liquid-cooled PC's. Plus, since there aren't any fans associated with the Sea Hawk EK X's cooler, it's a fine option for gamers who prefer their hardware whisper quiet.

The Sea Hawk EK X requires a single 6-pin and 8-pin power connector to operate.

If you'd prefer a water-cooled GTX 1070, but without a full-fledged cooling loop running through the inside of your case, MSI's Sea Hawk X fulfills the role nicely. An all-in-one card (that is, the water-block, radiator, pump, and fan are preinstalled on the GPU and connected to each other), the Sea Hawk X melds Corsair's Hydro series cooler with MSI's GTX 1070 engineering. Adding it to your system is pretty straightforward—just plug the dual-slot card into your motherboard, connect the single 8-pin power cable, and then screw in the radiator and fan assembly to the back of your case.

The Corsair Hydro cooler includes a micro-fin copper contact-base, a high-speed circulation pump, a black aluminum radiator, and a 120 mm fan, which MSI and Corsair claim runs silently. On top of the cooler lies an MSI LED logo, which you can adjust using the MSI Gaming App.

Another noteworthy GTX 1070 that sends heat through the back of your case rather than into it, the Aero 8G OC also boasts a healthy overclock—1632 MHz on the base and 1771 MHz on the boost. The cooler comes in a modern black and silver industrial design, and MSI claims that it's built from premium materials (such as military class 4 components) to keep it sturdy and reliable. You can probably increase the existing overclock values as well, since the card retains a custom cooler. To do so, the Aero 8G OC come with MSI's Afterburner software, which can also be used for running benchmarks and video capture. All the Aero 8G needs to operate is a single 8-pin power connector.

For a graphics card with the same cooler, albeit with the reference card's base and boost clock speeds, the GeForce GTX 1070 Aero 8G is available as well from MSI.

The GTX 1070 Xtreme Gaming is a three-slot behemoth with some of the most aggressive overclocks in this roundup—just shy of 1900 MHz on the boost clock in OC mode, in fact. Logically, those wonderfully high numbers require some powerful cooling, which the Xtreme Gaming absolutely has.

Hardware Unboxed reviewed the Xtreme Gaming, and notes: "Thanks to the same beefy cooler found on Gigabyte's 1080 Xtreme, this 1070 version had no trouble dissipating what the GP104 die threw at it, running at impressively low temperatures, even when overclocked." Modders Inc. echoed similar praise in their own review, saying: "With the fans set on auto, temperatures of the card never exceeded 65° C on the test bench nor could I hear the fans spin up. Fan speeds never exceeded 40% during any of the test."

To support VR gamers, this particular GTX 1070 has two extra HDMI ports, which Gigabyte claims are automatically detected when you plug into them and reboot your PC. Like many of the custom GTX 1070s, you can alter the LED accents on the Xtreme Gaming to your imagination's desires. Topping everything off is a four-year extended warranty, which is obtainable by following some quick and easy steps on xg.gigabyte.com.

The Xtreme Gaming requires two 8-pin power connectors. There are even LED indicators next to the power ports that light up if a cable is disconnected, and blink if they detect an abnormal PSU.

Opting for a mini-ITX PC case doesn't mean you have to sacrifice quality and speed when it comes to your graphics card. Proving that concept, Gigabyte offers their Mini ITX OC as a smaller GTX 1070 alternative. Just like many of the larger custom cards on this list, the Mini ITX OC provides Gaming and OC modes to choose from, with different clock speeds associated with them. And don't let the compact, low-profile size of the card fool you—it packs plenty of power underneath its hood (1721 MHz base and 1746 MHz boost in OC mode).

Gigabyte's custom cooler uses a 90 mm fan with unique blades, an aluminum heatsink, and three composite copper heatpipes with direct touch technology. Gigabyte claims that the fan's triangle edges and 3D-striped curves enhance the air flow by a factor of 23% compared to traditional fan designs. Thanks to 3D Active Fan, Gigabyte further claims that the cooler stays ghostly-quiet during low-power gaming sessions. You'll only need to attach a single 8-pin power cable to the Mini ITX OC.

Gigabyte's GTX 1070 G1 Gaming not only relies on air-cooling, it excels at it. The card's Windforce 3X system has two copper composite heatpipes shaped to contact the GPU directly. Gigabyte claims these heatpipes are so efficient that they increase the cooling capacity of the card by a factor of 29% (compared to a reference card). Assisting the heatpipes with the cooling duty are three fans with triangle, 3D-striped blades, and an expansive heatsink that covers the card's interior. Plus, according to OCDrift, the Windforce 3X remains quiet when not overly taxed: "It's also good to see the implementation of semi-passive cooler which means the cooling fans will remain off until the GPU workload reaches a certain level. This technology will definitely help in reducing the noise level especially when the GPU is under low workload."

You can also get lovingly lost playing with the 16.8 million colors on the G1 Gaming's cooler, including various lighting effects (adjustable inside the Xtreme Engine software, which serves double-duty as a method for overclocking your card even further). Similar to Gigabyte's Xtreme Gaming model, this version also has power connector LEDs for the single 8-pin port, which blinks when your power stream is unreliable, and shines steady when the cable isn't fully connected.

The GTX 1070 G1 Gaming is also a compelling option for running in SLI, if you'd like to explore dual-card setup. ProClockers elaborates: "Using the Gigabyte GeForce GTX 1070 G1 Gaming cards in SLI was quite a bit of fun. The framerates we achieved were mind boggling. I found myself laughing a few times watching the FPS meter climb well over 100 FPS even when running some of the games at 4K."

Similar to Gigabyte's Windforce 3X setups on their other GTX 1070's, the Windforce OC instead uses a 2X system, which involves a dual-fan array as opposed to three. Gigabyte claims that the two 3D-striped 90 mm fans increase overall airflow by 23% compared to usual fans, and that their 3D Active Fan technology creates near silent operation during low-power gaming sessions.

You can switch between the preset clock speeds with a single click of your mouse button simply by opening up the Xtreme Engine utility, which should prove helpful if you often change up your gaming habits. Finishing off its already respectable set of features, the Windforce OC is built with 6+2 power phases, which Gigabyte claims lowers the heat strain on the MOSFET, making voltage more stable for the card's overclocks (as well as providing additional room for your own overclocking forays). All you'll need is a single 8-pin power cable for to make this card ready for action.

Clocked in at a significant 1607 MHz on the base and 1797 MHz on the boost (over 100 MHz of gain in both areas compared to the reference card), the XLR8 Gaming OC looks like it's ready to burn rubber on a professional racing course. Its cooler contains much more than good looks though. There are three fans that line the middle of the graphics card, which PNY claims runs faster and quieter than standard cooling configurations. Despite the pumped-up cooling levels, the XLR8 only needs the standard 8-pin power connector to get its system revved up. And just like PNY's GTX 1070 8G, you can turn the bundled one-year warranty into a lifetime version by heading to the manufacturer's website and filling out a registration form. The GTX 1070 XLR8 Gaming OC should be available soon in stores and online.

Are you rocking a mid- or full-tower case with some extra room on the motherboard? If so, the beastly 2.5 slot Zotac GTX 1070 AMP Extreme would likely make a fine addition to it. Everything about this card is cranked up for maximum performance. It offers a 1632 MHz base clock and an 1835 MHz boost clock right out of the package, and its memory speed comes in at a sizable 8208 MHz (200 MHz over the reference card's memory frequency). These lofty overclocks are kept stable by Zotac's specialized Icestorm cooler, which is comprised of six heatpipes and a long heatsink with aluminum fins. Three 90 mm, dual-bladed EKO fans sit on top of the metal components, which remove the heat from beneath them with respectable force. Hardware BBQ backs up this concept in their review: "Without a doubt Zotac GTX 1070 AMP! Extreme provides a very good cooling performance for the GP104 core."

The cooler's case is wrapped by Zotac's Carbon ExoArmor, which has an industrial design motif as well as a backplate to provide additional stability for the card's PCB. The outer edges and the back of the cooler contain Spectra LEDs, which are tweakable by using Zotac's Firestorm software. And when the GPU demand is low, Zotac claims that their Freeze technology stops the fans entirely, making it completely silent. Finally, the GTX 1070 AMP Extreme relies on Power Boost, which Zotac claims minimizes harmful power fluctuations, which in turn results in more stability and longevity.

Hardware BBQ stamped their Gold Award on the card, stating: "If you're overclocking further, the cooling performance will not give you up or let you down. This is undoubtedly one of the best looking graphic cards."

The dual-slot GTX 1070 AMP Edition is the little brother of the AMP Extreme, but it's still got plenty of punch. Its Icestorm cooler uses variably configured heatpipes that route through the aluminum heatsink, and Zotac claims that the two 100 mm fans push more air with fewer rotations, which means far less fan noise. Additionally, there's a wrap-around backplate and a full-metal fan shroud, and the Spectra lighting system allows you to adjust the color of the LEDS that adorn the top of the cooler. And just like the AMP Extreme, the AMP Edition uses Freeze tech—which Zotac claims reduces wear and tear on the fans—and Power Boost, which Zotac claims increases the overall life of the GPU. If you'd like to try and overclock the card some more, you can do so by opening up the included FireStorm app. The AMP Edition requires two 8-pin power cables.

GALAX's 2.5-slot GTX 1070 HOF is covered in a solid white color scheme, with a TriMax custom cooler that houses three 90 mm fans and an anodized aluminum backplate, which GALAX claims results in superior heat dissipation. The entirety of the PCB is comprised of a PureOC 12 layer layout, with 8+3 phase digital power, which GALAX claims helps cope with high levels of overclocking (which this card is designed to do).

The PCB is reinforced even more with the HOF Armor die-cast aluminum alloy plate, which covers the MOSFET, memory, and other areas that tend to heat up the fastest. The top of the cooler and the back of the PCB contain LED-lit Hall of Fame logos, which can be adjusted to your personal color tastes. Tying everything together is the HOF backplate, which GALAX claims prevents the PCB from bending, and increases the cooling potential. Since the GTX 1070 HOF is a rugged and heavy card, GALAX provides a FLexHold HOF supporting stick to fasten the entire unit to during installation (the pole goes in your case vertically, and attaches near the front).

For a quick route to overclocking, there's a button on the back of the display connector panel, which when pressed, increases the speeds even more. You'll need to plug in two 8-pin power cables for the GTX 1070 HOF to operate. The same graphics card is also available in Europe, under the KFA2 brand.

The GALAX EX OC is a two-slot card, and its all-black cooler contains two oversized 100 mm fans. GALAX claims that it's constructed to produce top-level heat dissipation by using premium materials, including an anodized aluminum backplate. The top portion of the cooler has a GeForce GTX LED logo, which comes in a multitude of different possible colors. The GTX 1070 EX OC asks for a 6-pin and an 8-pin power cable

If you're located in Europe, the same card is available from KFA2. There's also the GALAX/KFA2 1070 EX, which has the same cooler, but utilizes a 1518 MHz base clock, and a 1708 MHz boost clock.

Using the same admirable clock speeds as the GTX 1070 reference card, the Virtual Edition has a fashionable cooler that directs the exhaust out of your PC case. The entire card is encased in a matte-black finish, a large crimson stripe, and a mysterious, red-bandaged figure who peers ominously outward. If you're looking for a card with some artistic flair, this one could be a shoe-in.

The Virtual Edition only needs a single 6-pin power cable to run. The Virtual Edition should be available soon from the GALAX store. If you're a resident of Europe, you can purchase the same card from KFA2.

Looking for high overclocks and a plus-sized cooler with a wealth of fans? Inno3D's 2.5-slot, European-only iChill X4 Edition fits into that description nicely. Not only does it crank up the base clock to 1620 MHz and the boost clock to 1822 MHz, it also pushes the memory to 8200 MHz. The X4 moniker denotes a four-fan setup, which in this case means three 92 mm turbine versions as well as a top-mounted 50 mm fan, which Inno3D claims is placed to cool the GPU and memory exclusively.

The oversized cooler cover is removable without any additional tools (it pops off using only your hands), making it easy to dust and clean the massive aluminum heatsink beneath it. Inside that very same heatsink is an array of high-heat flux heatpipes, and a substantial amount of fins. Inno3D claims that their A.P.C.S. (Active Power Cooling System) keeps card temps low even when the GPU is under high stress, which makes the overclocks strong and stable. There's also a GPU load indicator on top of the cooler, which glows red when under full power, green when under low power, and blue when it's at minimal strain. Inno3D claims that their Intelligent Fan technology stops the fans completely when the card is idle, which saves power and makes the iChill X4 Edition essentially noiseless. Despite all the extra cooling, the X4 Edition only needs one 8-pin power connector.

There's also the three-fan Inno3D GTX 1070 iChill X3 Edition (with a base clock of 1620 MHz, a boost clock of 1822 MHz, and a memory speed of 8192 MHz), which uses all the same features as the X4 Edition, but without the top-mounted fan.

For those seeking a custom GTX 1070 with a smaller cooler (one that only takes up two slots) and some decent overclocking potential, the Inno3D GTX 1070 Twin X2 should be a good match. It only asks for a single 8-pin power cable, and thanks to the two fans and the aluminum heatsink, you should be able to increase the base and boost clocks without running into too many snags. You can remove the cooler's faceplate by loosening six hex screws, which allows easy access to periodically blowing dust and clearing debris out of the inside (which goes a long way in extending the life of any graphics card). The GTX 1070 Twin X2 is only available in Europe.

The 2.5-slot GTX 1070 Phoenix GLH screams out of the gate with a skyscraping 1670 MHz on the base, and 1873 MHz on the boost. Gainward claims that they redesigned the GTX 1070 from the ground up, which makes the hardware ultra-stable under high-demand. There are eight total phases for the GPU cores to draw power from, and the manufacturer claims that this design reduces current load and heat, which increases efficiency. The card uses a dual BIOS, with one the factory overclocked settings linked to one, and the other for the gamer's overclocks. This way, if you hit a mark where your own clock speeds are a bit too much, you can simply toggle the BIOS back to defaults to begin anew.

The Phoenix GLH's cooling system involves two large 100 mm fans with revamped blade designs, a direct-contact copper base in the heatsink, advanced copper heatpipes, and a honeycomb bracket for the display connection area. There's also a metal backplate that's affixed to the back of the card to aid in PCB support. This entire setup has garnered a lot of praise from reviewers. "Gainward Phoenix cards bestride the graphics card world like a colossus," says Overclock3D. "Spectacular performance, quiet operation, low power usage. In every measurable the Gainward's are top and that's why they win the OC3D Performance Award." Awesomely, this card only needs a single 8-pin power cable.

As an alternative to the GLH, Gainward's GTX 1070 Phoenix GS has the same cooler but with different clock speeds (1632 MHz base/1835 MHz boost), as does the GTX 1070 Phoenix (1506 MHz base/1683 MHz boost). Gainward's graphics cards are available only in Europe.

Gainward's standard, two-slot GTX 1070 goes with the default clock speeds found on the reference card, but it uses two long-bladed fans with semi-translucent plastic and a subdued black finish on the custom cooler to set it apart. The rear section of the GPU contains a honeycombed exhaust plate. This particular card needs a single 8-pin power cable to hook up to it, and is available only in Europe.

Palit's European-only GTX 1070 GameRock Premium Edition will likely appeal to hardcore enthusiasts who love to delve into every working facet of their graphics card. That's because this card comes bundled with an external front-panel LCD screen, which can be mounted inside your case's drive bay, or placed on a flat service next to your PC (or even on top of it). Dubbed the G-Panel, it has a whole host of features, including a USB 3.0 type C and USB 3.0 Type A port, as well as a screen that can show important behind-the-scenes items such as GPU info, driver version, BIOS version, GPU clock speeds, GPU voltage, fan speeds, overall card temps, power usage, and more. And if you happen to upgrade to another graphics card down the road, Palit claims the G-Panel is compatible with any NVIDIA GeForce card out there.

As for the GameRock Premium Edition, it's a 2.5-slot card, and it uses a copper base under the heatsink combined with a set of heatpipes that touch the GPU directly. Palit claims that this newer heatsink design contains 22% more fins than their older graphics cards. There are two total smart fans sized up to 100 mm, each with TurboFan blades, which were manufactured from the inspiration of jet engines. This fan system alternates blade rotations, which Palit claims reduces airflow collision, thus enhancing the overall heat dissipation. HardwareZone agrees, as they state: "The non-reference heatsink manages to be quieter and overall cooler than the reference design despite having such a large footprint... the Palit GTX 1070 GameRock Premium Edition [is] a smart choice for those who are going to game at 1440P."

Polishing off the already expansive extras, the card also has a dual BIOS, which Palit claims automatically activates a protection system should an error be detected, which keeps the card functional in the event of a failure. On top of the cooler is an LED strip with over 16.8 million different colors to choose from. You'll need a single free 8-pin power cable for the GameRock Premium Edition.

The Super Jetstream's 2.5-slot cooler uses two 100 mm fans with TurboFan blades, which Palit claims improves overall air pressure, making the card cooler even under high-load gaming sessions. Palit further claims that these same fans only spin up when they absolutely have to, such as when the GPU temperatures exceed 50° C, making standard operation wonderfully quiet. Each of the two fans turn in opposite directions as well, which the manufacturer claims helps to avert airflow conflicts.

The Super JetStream is built with an 8-phase PWM, and the RGB LED on the casing can be tweaked to change colors based off how hot or cool the card gets (with up to 16.8 million colors available, according to Palit). The Super JetStream additionally uses DrMOS tech, which Palit claims results in high-current circuits, low noise, and less heat compared to a reference GTX 1070. You can also use Palit's ThunderMaster software to overclock the Super JetStream even more, if you're feeling frisky. You'll need a single 8-pin power cable available for this offering.

Palit products are only available in Europe. For a GTX 1070 with the same cooler but different speeds, take a look at the Palit GTX 1070 JetStream (which has a base of 1506 MHz, and a boost of 1683 MHz).

This Europe-only custom GTX 1070 requires a single 8-pin power cable, and needs only two free slots on your motherboard to call home. The Dual contains the same DrMOS technology as the Palit Super Jetstream and JetStream options, as well as the same 0-db feature, which Palit claims keeps the card silent under low to medium-demand situations. The two 90 mm fans work the hot air off the aluminum underslung heatsinks, and Palit claims the honeycomb bracket next to the display connectors increases airflow up to 15%, and routes the heat out of the case, rather than into it.

Upgrade Your GTX 1070 Reference Card with an Aftermarket Cooler

If you picked up a reference GTX 1070 when it came out, you can still add your own custom cooler to make it uniquely your own. Arctic offers a lot of awesome coolers in all sorts of different capacities, cooler types, and total number of fans (up to three maximum). You can also adopt a fancy new all-in-one liquid cooler to tack onto your card's PCB, such as the Accelero Hybrid III-140. Of course, installing an aftermarket cooler takes some practice, a steady hand, and a bit of research, but it's not much unlike putting in a custom CPU cooler. Even better, you won't need any crazy tools to do so—a micro screwdriver set and thermal paste are the most used items in the process.

If you're looking to add your GTX 1070 into a liquid-cooled PC, Ekwb has loads of water blocks, fittings, and other critical components. Even if you've never tackled a liquid cooling loop, there are numerus how-to videos online, including our Cross Desk series in GeForce Garage.

Super-Charge your PC with a Custom GTX 1070

Every graphics card on this list is an incredible showcase of speed, power, efficiency, and ingenuity. It's likely that many of them would fit your rig quite well, but if you start to get overwhelmed by the marvelous volume of quality choices, just remember, brainstorm the top few areas that are most important to you in a card (cooler size, overclocking room, color and design, silent running, preset OC modes, etc.), and then make note of your actual system requirements; a 2.5-slot card can be a mighty spectacle, but not if you can't fit it into your Micro-ITX case and motherboard. If you're not quite sure what your PC can handle, or if you're coming up dry in the ideas department, take a visit to reputable sites such as Maximum PC, PC Part Picker, Reddit - r/graphicscard, and Tom's Hardware. Places such as these can act as wonderful jumpstarts to your decision-making punch-list, and you'll often stumble across some highly useful advice and suggestions in the process.